MEGHAN MARKLE and Prince Harry have been banned from their social circle over their refusal to comply with etiquette rules, royal commentator Stefanie Jones claimed.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are no longer invited to friends' dinner parties because of their refusal to follow etiquette rules, according to royal expert Stefanie Jones. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are believed to have been shunned over their insistence of sitting next to each at the dinner table despite party-dinner etiquette demanding partners sit separately. Ms Jones also suggested the couple's tendency to engage in public displays of affection (PDA) also contributed to the royals being banned from their social circle.

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Speaking to The Daily Blast, the royal commentator said: "Traditionally you are not meant to sit next to your partner at a dinner party for exactly the reason these two have been called out for - because of PDA.

"No-one wants to see you all over your partner. Also, they want to see you interact and mix with the people you might not know yet.

"The point is keeping the conversation flowing, not focusing on the person you see every day."

According to Debrett's etiquette guide, the host of a dinner party has the final say on whether couples are allowed to be seated together at formal dinners but the rule of splitting partners is "always followed at private dinners".

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been banned from their social circle due to PDA (Image: GETTY)

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have not shied away from public displays of affection (Image: GETTY)

The guide claims having couples sit separately at the dinner table allows "both husband and wife a chance to meet new people".

During formal dinners at Buckingham Palace, members of the Royal Family are distributed throughout the banquet table to mingle with other guests and couples are rarely seen sitting next to each other.

When President Donald Trump visited the UK for his state visit earlier this year, Queen Elizabeth II threw an official dinner at the Palace during which Prince Charles sat next to his mother and First Lady Melania Trump while Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall sat opposite him between President Trump and US Ambassador Woody Johnson.

Kate, Duchess of Cambridge also sat away from husband Prince William as she entertained the Lord Mayor of London, Peter Estlin, and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. The Duke of Cambridge stood two seats after his stepmother between then-Prime Minister Theresa May and Ambassador Johnson's wife, Susanne Ircha Johnson.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have often been spotted holding hands (Image: GETTY)

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been known to be a very affectionate couple (Image: GETTY)

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have not shied away from showing off their affectionate relationship while on official engagements as they are often spotted holding hands or putting an arm around each other.

Etiquette expert Myka Meier, who was trained by a former member of the Queen's household, insisted there is no protocol dictating whether the couple can or cannot be affectionate in public.

Ms Meier said: "There’s no protocol that tells them they can’t hug or kiss or touch. There’s no rule book like that.

“Each senior member of the royal family is trusted to make the judgment calls of what’s appropriate and when.”

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As they proudly presented their baby to the world in a private photo call session at Windsor Castle, the couple huddled together as Harry carried Archie in his arms as Meghan kept her arm firmly on her husband shoulders' as they answered questions.

And in pictures taken to mark their son's christening in July, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex continued to showcase their affection for each other as Meghan fondly gazed at the prince, the Duke looking down toward his son but touching Meghan with his left hand.